11 Advantages and Disadvantages of the European Union

May 29, 2015

The European Union, also known as just the EU, is a union of 28 countries that work together in political and economic matters. The majority of the union member countries are located in Europe with a handful located in Russia. One of the main focuses for the EU is financial issues through out it’s members. They do things like sent lending rates for banks, and combat any inflation problems that may arise. Making the decision to join the European Union is a big one for any country. If you are trying to decide whether or not your country should join, you should learn all about the things that they offer and the problems that they cause.

The Advantages of the European Union

1. Tax Free Trading Among Members
One of the biggest benefits that are offered to the member countries of the EU is that they are free to trade with other members at no additional taxation. This helps to keep prices of goods and food down in these countries.

2. Opens Up More Opportunities
Movement between all of the countries in the EU is completely free and open for all citizens. This opens up many more job and education opportunities for people. Especially ones who are in poor countries.

3. Culture Is Not Lost
The EU has never had an “official language” and doesn’t interfere with the cultural aspects of any country. This helps to ensure that, while you are part of the union, you are also your own country.

4. A Common Currency
All of the member countries of the EU have the same type of currency, the euro. This makes doing business, traveling or moving to other countries, and buying things much simpler. It also creates a sense of unity among the countries.

5. No Conflict Between Nations
There are strict guidelines followed for any issues that occur within the EU. This prevents any of these countries from getting into large political or economical problems with one another and promotes peace throughout the continent.

The Disadvantages of the European Union

1. Communication Barriers
It becomes very difficult for the EU to communicate with all of it’s citizens because they all speak different language. This also impact the feeling of unity among it’s members. It makes it harder to bring people together.

2. Shared Wealth Is Not Always Good
Large and wealthy countries that are members of the European Union, like Germany, have to share their wealth with much smaller and poorer countries. This prevents any one country from becoming too powerful, which is a bad thing for countries that have the ability to become world leaders.

3. Leaving Is A Problem
Once a country decides to join the EU, it is extremely difficult for them to leave it. This makes many people uneasy from joining, because if it negatively effects their country, there is little that they can do about it.

4. Discriminates Against Potential Members
In order to join the European Union, you must be a part of Europe. Europe’s borders are largely undefined, which gives the EU the power to pick and choose who they would like to join the union.

5. Takes Power From Governments
The European Union has power over the government in these countries. This means that if they do not like a political leader, they can simply kick them out of office. It is very simple for this to breach the lines of corruption and cause major problems in government sectors.

6. Serves The Interest As A Whole, Not A Country
The policies, decisions, and rules set in place by the European Union are not there to protect the best interest of each individual country. Instead, their goal is to advance the EU as a whole. This has caused many damages in smaller countries, that are often left unheard.